Delhi vs Rajasthan, 23rd Match

Cheers for your company and feedback fellas. Hope you enjoyed today's double-header to the hilt. Do not forget to join us tomorrow when Bangalore clash with Hyderabad. Goodbye and good night for now.

Karun Nair: "I wanted to give myself time. Maybe, I did not give myself time in the UAE. There are legends in the dressing room. I want to thank Watto and the support staff for showing confidence in me."

Karun Nair is the Man of the Match for his 50-ball 73.

Watson: "It was a nice win. That's for sure. To restrict a good batting order was a great effort. Tambe was brilliant and so was Rajat. It was exciting to watch Karun. We continue to unearth some exciting Indian talent. We have experience in Rajasthan Royals. It's disappointing not to play at Jaipur. It's like a second home for us. We will now have to make Ahmedabad our fortress."

Pietersen: "We lost wickets at the wrong time. Me and Quinny got out when we were going well. The tenth over was the turning point. It was poor of both of us to get out. We need to keep our heads high and keep a positive mindset. The wicket got slower and we did not have enough runs on the board. The boys are training hard and are giving their best. That's all anyone can ask for."

The players exchange pleasantries. It was an expertly paced chase from Rajasthan. Jinks started off with a couple of fluid strokes but flattered to deceive. Then, Nair assumed center-stage, blending caution with aggression in his 50-ball 73. Sanju Samson and Watto starred in brief cameos as Rajasthan gain their fourth victory to consolidate themselves on the top half of the points table. Do stick around for the presentation ceremony.

18.3 Unadkat to Nair, FOUR, It does not matter as Nair finishes the chase in style for Rajasthan and fittingly so. Full toss outside off, Nair carves it away over cover to seal the win

18.2 Unadkat to Nair, no run, fired full and straight, Nair works it to mid-wicket. Watto wants the single but is sent back by Nair. Jadhav in the act again, he fails to break the stumps this time. Had he hit though, Watson was a goner

18.1 Unadkat to Nair, FOUR, on a length and outside off, Nair makes room and lofts it over cover. Rajasthan are in a hurry to finish it off

17.6 Parnell to Watson, SIX, cracking hit! This was on a length on middle, Watson summons all his power and bludgeons it over deep mid-wicket. That exploded from the meat of the bat

17.5 Parnell to Watson, no run,Yes, Watto is safe. This was a back of a length delivery around off, Watson carves it away to cover-point. Seeing Watson out of his crease, Jadav fires a flat throw at the stumps and hits the bulls-eye. Watson dives in desperation. Replays reveal that he was in even as the bails came off the groove

A run-out chance sent to the TV umpire. Watto dives but is he safe? Umpire Krishnaraj Srinath is examining it from all possible angles. NOT OUT flashes on the big screen

17.4 Parnell to Watson, no run, length delivery on middle, Watson smashes it back to Parnell, who has a shy at the stumps. Watson takes signs of evasive action. Parnell looks at the funny side of it, sporting a smile but Watson is not amused

17.3 Parnell to Nair, 1 run, pitched up and on off, Nair knocks it towards cover point, sets off for a speedy single

17.2 Parnell to Nair, FOUR, cheey and four! Parnell rolls his fingers across this cutter outside off, Nair waits for it and deliberately dabs it wide of the keeper to the deep third man boundary

17.1 Parnell to Watson, 1 run, pushed full and just outside off, Watson wants to thwack it over mid-off but the ball goes to third man off a thick outside edge

Wayne Parnell [3.0-0-23-1] is back into the attack

Watto has a few issues behind the sight-screen. He is ready to resume.

The equation has boiled down to 17 from 18. One feels that Rajasthan have this game in the bag. KP turns to Parnell in an attempt to break Rajasthan's chase. Both are in the middle of a serious conversation.

16.6 Unadkat to Nair, 2 runs, back of a length and outside off, Nair backs away and chips it over mid-off for a couple

16.5 Unadkat to Nair, SIX, Thump! Length delivery outside off, Nair forays down the track and biffts it over deep mid wicket. Looks like he has the arsenal to up the ante as well

16.4 Unadkat to Watson, 1 run, another example of change of pace, back of a length on middle, tapped to cover point, where Nadeem misfields allowing the single to be pinched

16.3 Unadkat to Nair, 1 run, fired full on middle now, Nair backs away and drives it forcefully to mid off

16.2 Unadkat to Nair, no run, persists with the slower cutter on off, blocked back to Unadkat

16.1 Unadkat to Nair, 2 runs, a fine fifty from Nair. This was a slower length delivery outside off, Nair fetches it from there and nudges it wide mid wicket for a brace

Jaydev Unadkat [2.0-0-16-0] is back into the attack

15.6 S Nadeem to Watson, no run, seeing Watson wind up for a lusty blow, Nadeem slows this up and gives this loads of air, Watson has to contend with a ugly little push back to Nadeem. His returns 4-0-30-1.

15.5 S Nadeem to Watson, no run, flat and quick on off, pushed to cover again

15.4 S Nadeem to Watson, no run, Nadeem gives this more air, knocked in front of cover

15.3 S Nadeem to Watson, SIX, floated on off, Watson skips out meets the pitch of the ball and launches it over long on. Superb execution from Watto

15.2 S Nadeem to Watson, 2 runs, fraction short and outside off, Watson sits back and cuts it nicely to square third man for a brace

15.1 S Nadeem to Nair, 1 run, well flighted delivery delivery outside off, driven down to long off

Shahbaz Nadeem [3.0-0-21-1] is back into the attack

Shane Watson, right handed bat, comes to the crease

14.6 Shami to R Bhatia, out Bowled!! A horrible swipe from Bhatia, Shami's slower cutter batters the off-stump. Shami runs his fingers across this slower one on off, Bhatia is palpably early into the slog, misses it entirely. The off-stump is knocked out. So, the Bhatia experiment has been rendered a failure. R Bhatia b Shami 17(13) [6s-1]

Shami to R Bhatia, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

14.5 Shami to Nair, 1 run, back of a length and skidding on Nair, who miscues the pull to mid wicket

14.4 Shami to Nair, no run, short and rising on the body, Nair does not have enough room to work with as he only dabs it down to point

14.3 Shami to R Bhatia, 1 run, length delivery on off, Bhatia clubs it away to deep mid wicket without power and timing

14.2 Shami to Nair, 1 run, short again but much wider outside off, Nair leaps off his feet and dabs it down to third man

14.1 Shami to R Bhatia, 1 run, short and hurrying onto Bhatia, who heaves it away to backward square leg

Mohammed Shami [3.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack

Rajasthan looted 10 off that Parnell over and that brings us to the Time-out as well

13.6 Parnell to Nair, 2 runs, sliding down leg, Nair helps it across to fine leg for a couple

13.5 Parnell to Nair, FOUR, exquisite shot! Good length delivery around off, Nair exploits the pace of Parnell and back-cuts it away to the deep third man fence

13.4 Parnell to R Bhatia, 1 run, again back of a length on the stumps, Bhatia miscues the pull to deep mid wicket

13.3 Parnell to Nair, 1 run, back of a length delivery on the leg-stump, Nair slogs it to deep mid wicket

13.2 Parnell to Nair, no run, good length ball angled across, Nair hunts for a late cut but does not get hold of it as he is beaten

13.1 Parnell to R Bhatia, 1 run, short and cramping Bhatia for room, he still pulls it down to deep square leg

13.1 Parnell to R Bhatia, wide, bumper down leg, the umpire does not like the height on it and deems it a wide

Wayne Parnell [2.0-0-13-1] is back into the attack

12.6 Rahul Sharma to Nair, FOUR, short and punished. Rahul Sharma fails to learn from his mistakes. Width outside off, Nair rocks back and cuts it firmly past point to the square third man fence

12.5 Rahul Sharma to R Bhatia, 1 run, Bhatia eases this flighted delivery to long on

12.4 Rahul Sharma to R Bhatia, 2 runs, very full on the stumps, forced down to long on for a couple

12.3 Rahul Sharma to R Bhatia, SIX, floated outside off, Bhatia frees his arms as he carts it over the long-on fence with considerable disdain

12.2 Rahul Sharma to R Bhatia, 2 runs, flighted on off, Bhatia comes down the track, comes closer to the pitch of the ball, skies the lofted shot, Duminy runs back from mid-on, misjudges the take. He stretched his hand after the ball passed him, trying to recover but no dice

12.1 Rahul Sharma to R Bhatia, no run, dragged short and outside off, Bhatia strives to force it to the off-side but plays it back to Rahul Sharma off the inside half of the bat

Rahul Sharma [2.0-0-17-0] is back into the attack

11.6 Unadkat to Nair, SIX, This should release some pressure off Rajasthan. This was on a length and outside off, Nair creates room, attempts the lofted drive, does not get hold of it but the ball hits the advertising skirting on the full. Nair reaps full reward for intent though

11.5 Unadkat to R Bhatia, 1 run, this time it's the slower bouncer, Bhatia steps out and heaves it to deep mid wicket, it did look ungainly

11.4 Unadkat to R Bhatia, no run, a hat-trick of slower balls from Unadkat. Looks like Bhatia is getting a dose of his own medicine. He cuts and misses now

11.3 Unadkat to Nair, 1 run, 113.9kph, another off-speed ball on off, Nair dechiphers it and bunts it towards cover

11.2 Unadkat to R Bhatia, 1 run, slower cutter just outside off, now it's Bhatia's turn to steer one down to third man

11.1 Unadkat to Nair, 1 run, good length ball just outside off, Nair angles his bat and guides it to third man

Jaydev Unadkat [1.0-0-6-0] is back into the attack

10.6 Shami to Nair, 1 run, on a length and outside off, Nair looks to force it through cover but the ball travels to deep mid wicket off the inside half of the bat

10.5 Shami to Nair, 2 runs, too full and straight as Nair tucks it smartly between midwicket and long on for a brace

10.4 Shami to Nair, no run, 141.2kph back of a length delivery, Nair swings with all his might, gets a bottom edge that nearly shaved the leg-stump

10.3 Shami to Nair, 2 runs, back of a length delivery on middle, Nair backs away but mishits the lofted drive to long-off

10.2 Shami to Nair, no run, Shami shortens his length outside off, Nair wants to dab it down to third man but his beaten by the bounce

10.1 Shami to Nair, no run, good length ball around off, tapped to cover

Mohammed Shami [2.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack

Rajat Bhatia, right handed bat, comes to the crease

9.6 S Nadeem to Samson, out Stumped!! Oops, Samson is making it a habit of throwing away bright starts. Seeing Samson shuffle across in a bid to drive, Nadeem fires it outside off. Sanju's balance gets totally shot. DK whips off the bails in a flash to catch him stumped. He almost fell over after missing the drive. Nadeem is pleased as punch. Samson st D Karthik b S Nadeem 34(28) [4s-2 6s-2]

S Nadeem to Samson, THATS OUT!! Stumped!!

9.5 S Nadeem to Samson, no run, pushed through on off, Samson taps it to cover

9.4 S Nadeem to Samson, SIX, half tracker on middle and leg, Samson is quick to pounce on it, he goes deep in the crease and pulls it way over the wide long-on fence

9.3 S Nadeem to Samson, FOUR, throws this up outside off, Samson dances down the wicket and lofts it beautifully inside out over extra cover, he is showing his class here

We have some issues with the feed. Heartfelt apologies for the delay. Do stay with us.

Time-out. Rahul Dravid is seen egging on Sanju and Nair. Meanwhile, KP leads the team talk in the Delhi camp.

8.6 Rahul Sharma to Samson, no run, this one goes on with the arm on middle, Samson pushes it back to Rahul Sharma

8.5 Rahul Sharma to Nair, 1 run, flat and on the stumps, worked down to long on

8.4 Rahul Sharma to Nair, FOUR, wonderful stroke! Tossed up on off, Nair loft-drives it inside out over cover, the ball has enough fuel to reach the fence

8.3 Rahul Sharma to Samson, 1 run, darted in just outside off, Samson dabs it to cover point and sets off, good response from his partner as well. Nadeem picks up the ball but his throw was quite comical, very off-target

8.2 Rahul Sharma to Samson, 2 runs, Rahul Sharma drags it short and offers room as well, Samson sits back and cuts square of the wicket on the off-side for a brace

8.1 Rahul Sharma to Samson, no run, quick and shortish on off, Samson stands tall and punches it straight to the fielder at cover

7.6 S Nadeem to Samson, 1 run, lovely flight and loop outside off, Samson pushes it to sweeper cover and jogs across to take the single on offer

7.5 S Nadeem to Nair, 1 run, flat and fired outside off, Nair swats it down to long on

7.4 S Nadeem to Samson, 1 run, arm ball sliding on the off-stump, eased to long off

7.3 S Nadeem to Samson, no run, ripper! Tossed up, turning away, drawing Samson into a indecisive poke before having him beaten neck and crop

7.2 S Nadeem to Samson, 2 runs, pushed through quicker, Samson drives it square of the wicket, Parnell runs across, slides and reels the ball in just before the ropes

7.1 S Nadeem to Samson, no run, flatter and spinning away outside off, Samson taps it in front of cover

Shahbaz Nadeem [1.0-0-5-0] is back into the attack

6.6 Rahul Sharma to Samson, 1 run, much slower but too staright, Samson flicks it to long on to keep strike

6.5 Rahul Sharma to Samson, no run, pushed through short on middle, punched back to the bowler

6.4 Rahul Sharma to Nair, 1 run, looped up just outside off, Nair milks it down to long off

6.3 Rahul Sharma to Nair, FOUR, flatter and quicker outside off, Nair rocks back and places it between point and short third man. Both these batsmen have got their eye in. Can they kick on?

6.2 Rahul Sharma to Samson, 1 run, floated outside off, Samson opens the face of the bat and nudges it away to short third man, where Shami fumbles the take and kicks the ball away with his boot

6.1 Rahul Sharma to Samson, 2 runs, dug in outside off, Samson slaps it away square of the wicket on the off-side. He hares around for the second, dives full length and makes his ground beating the throw from the deep

Run-out chance sent upstairs. Samson is the man in question. The dive saves him and quite comfortably

Rahul Sharma, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

5.6 Parnell to Samson, 1 run, much fuller and outside off, Samson waits for an age and guides it down to third man with the aid of an open face

5.5 Parnell to Samson, no run, Samson opens the face of the bat on impact with this back of a length ball around off and steers it to point

5.4 Parnell to Samson, no run, length delivery on middle and leg, Samson looks to tuck it towards mid-wicket but misses it

5.3 Parnell to Samson, SIX, cracking shot! This was on a length on middle and leg, Samson picks it up and hoists it over long on

5.2 Parnell to Samson, no run, Up in the air but Samson is safe. This was a back of a length delivery on the stumps, Samson hunts for the lofted drive, gets it high on the bat, fortunately for Samson the ball bounces in front of mid-off. Seeing Nair, venture out of the crease, he fires a throw at the bowler's end but misses. Had he hit he would have had Nair

5.1 Parnell to Samson, no run, shortish and on off, Samson stays in the crease and fends it back to Parnell

Wayne Parnell [1.0-0-6-1] is back into the attack

4.6 Shami to Samson, 1 run, short third man in the picture again as Samson allows this good length delivery outside off to come to him and then glides it away, cannot beat the fielder though

4.5 Shami to Nair, 1 run, back of a length and close to the off-stump, Nair is cramped for room as he chops it down to short third man

4.4 Shami to Nair, no run, another shorter one on off, Nair hops up and fends it back to Shami

4.3 Shami to Samson, 1 run, Shami bangs this bouncer outside off, Samson makes a hash of the pull, he neither moved back nor forward, luckily the ball dropped into safe teritorry in the mid-wicket area

4.2 Shami to Nair, 1 run, back of a length and angled across, Nair slashes it down to deep third man

4.1 Shami to Nair, no run, shortish and directed at the body, Nair sits back and fends it in front of Shami

Mohammed Shami [1.0-0-9-0] is back into the attack

3.6 Unadkat to Samson, FOUR, back of a length delivery on the leg-stump, Samson picks it up from there and dispatches it to the deep backward square leg fence for a one bounce four. Beautiful timing from Sanju

3.5 Unadkat to Samson, no run, pitched up and on middle, check-driven towards mid-off. That one seemed to have gripped in the pitch

3.4 Unadkat to Nair, 1 run, on a length and on middle and leg, Nair turns it away past square leg

3.3 Unadkat to Nair, no run, good length ball slanted across, Nair fiddles with it and ends up beaten. Lovely, teaser that from Unadkat

3.3 Unadkat to Nair, wide, Unadkat strays in length again as he slips another delivery down leg

3.2 Unadkat to Nair, no run, fullish and nibbling away outside off, Nair wants to have a dabble at it but pulls out at the last minute

3.1 Unadkat to Nair, no run, a muted appeal for caught behind. DK joins in quite belatedly. This was a back of a length delivery angling down leg, Nair flicks and misses. The ball may have brushed the thigh pad en-route to DK

Jaydev Unadkat, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

2.6 Parnell to Samson, no run, pitched up and on middle, Samson knocks it in front of the bowler

2.6 Parnell to Samson, wide, short but the direction is wrong - down leg - Samson shoulders arms, wide called

Sanju Samson, right handed bat, comes to the crease

2.5 Parnell to Rahane, out Caught by Vijay!! Parnell gets his man now and roars. Fullish and outside off, Rahane drives nicely after leaning forward but fails to keep it down. The ball scoops to cover, where Vijay dives to his left to snag a one-handed catch. He breaks into a celebratory jig as well. Rahane c Vijay b Parnell 12(10) [4s-2]

Parnell to Rahane, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

2.4 Parnell to Rahane, FOUR, Parnell tests Rahane with a bouncer, Rahane shifts his balance to the back foot and pulls it to the deep backward square leg fence

2.3 Parnell to Nair, 1 run, back of a length and outside off, Nair employs soft hands and dabs it down to third man

2.2 Parnell to Nair, no run, good length ball just outside off, Nair drives it to cover point. The man there fires a throw at the bowler's end but misses the sticks. Rahane, who backed far too much, dives and returns to the safety of his crease

2.1 Parnell to Rahane, leg byes, 1 run, back of a length delivery sliding down leg, Rahane fails to tickle it, the ball goes off the pads towards short fine, the dup eke out a leg bye though

Wayne Parnell, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

Parnell replaces Nadeem.

1.6 Shami to Nair, no run, marginally back of a length and homing in on the off-stump, Nair drops it in front of cover, looks for a risky single but is rightly sent back

1.5 Shami to Nair, no run, Shami responds with a bumper outside off, Nair watches it through to the keeper

1.4 Shami to Nair, FOUR, pushed through fullish at 140.5kph, Nair does not care as he twirls his wrists and flicks it delightfully to the deep mid wicket fence

1.3 Shami to Rahane, 1 run, pitched up and nibbling away a smidge, Rahane leans into the drive but the ball wanders away wide of mid wicket off the inside half of the bat

1.2 Shami to Rahane, no run, good length delivery on off, Rahane stays back and blocks it in front of the bowler

1.1 Shami to Rahane, FOUR, Rahane brought this right out of the top draw. This was slightly back of a length and outside off, Rahane creams it square of the wicket on the off-side, the rich timing carries it away to the fence

Mohammed Shami, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

0.6 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, pushed through quicker at 94.8kph, Rahane clips it neatly behind square leg. So, five singles off the first over

0.5 S Nadeem to Rahane, no run, flighted delivery on the stumps, Rahane defends it back to Nadeem quite solidly, offering the full face of the bat

0.4 S Nadeem to Nair, 1 run, looped up and angling in on off, Nair bunts it down the ground to long on

0.3 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, floated on middle and leg, Rahane nurdles a single to mid wicket

0.2 S Nadeem to Nair, 1 run, full and sliding on with the arm on middle, Nair plays a half-swat, half-flick to backward square leg

0.1 S Nadeem to Rahane, 1 run, flatter and on the pads, Rahane sinks down and paddles it well but can't beat short fine leg

Rahane and Nair are at the crease. Rahane is on strike. S Nadeem will open the attack

Welcome back for the run-chase. Rahane and Nair stride out to the middle. Nadeem to kick off proceedings for Delhi. A slip waiting for the outside edge

Delhi might be happy with the total that they have put up. At one stage, 150 looked out of reach but a few meaty blows from Jadhav has got them there. After losing Vijay early, de Kock and Pietersen steadied the innings before both fell in the same Tambe over. Duminy was once again left to do the repair work and he found able allies in Karthik and Jadhav. He scored a well compiled 39 and added 46 runs with Jadhav. Tambe and Faulkner were the pick of the bowlers. The pitch looks two paced and batting is not going to be easy. Join us in a short while for the run chase....

19.6 Kane Richardson to K Jadhav, 1 run, no he can't, full toss outside off, Jadhav was not expecting that, he flat-bats it to long off and gets only a single. Expensive last over for Rajasthan, 18 runs came off it

Can he finish with another maximum?

19.5 Kane Richardson to K Jadhav, SIX, Jadhav is playing a blinder here, length delivery on the stumps, Jadhav backs away and launches it over the long on fence, he sent it on the second tier

19.4 Kane Richardson to K Jadhav, FOUR, full delivery on middle, Jadhav makes room to free his arms, he does extremely well to drive it wide sweeper cover, the ball bullets away to the fence

Wayne Parnell, left handed bat, comes to the crease

19.3 Kane Richardson to Duminy, out Caught by R Bhatia!! Superb catch running around the fence, he had to keep his balance and he does a brilliant job. A length ball once again, Duminy goes for the flick behind square, he does not time it as the last one, skies it towards backward square leg, Bhatia runs across and takes a very good catch. Duminy c R Bhatia b Kane Richardson 39(31) [4s-4 6s-1]

Kane Richardson to Duminy, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

19.2 Kane Richardson to Duminy, SIX, fabulous shot! This is sensible batting as he targets the short boundary, length delivery on the pads, Duminy plays the pick up shot, he middled that as it went sailing over backward square leg

19.1 Kane Richardson to K Jadhav, 1 run, full and on off, Jadhav drills the drive to long on and gives the strike back to Duminy

Richardson comes round the wicket

18.6 Faulkner to Duminy, FOUR, smashed! This was a full delivery on the stumps, Duminy gets his right leg out of the way and drives it hard straight down the ground, he bisects the two fielders as well. Good end to the over

18.5 Faulkner to K Jadhav, 1 run, in the blockhole, Jadhav clears his front leg and digs out to deep mid wicket

18.4 Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run, full and outside off, Duminy advances down the wicket, takes it on the full and drives to sweeper cover

18.3 Faulkner to K Jadhav, 1 run, back of the hand from Faulkner, cramps Jadhav for room, but he still manages to chop it towards third man

18.2 Faulkner to K Jadhav, FOUR, Jadhav charges down the wicket, converts it into a full toss and hoicks it over mid-wicket, the placement was excellent as the fielder was inside the circle

18.1 Faulkner to K Jadhav, no run, slower delivery bowled from back of the hand, Jadhav looks to slog it over cow corner, he fails to make contact

James Faulkner [3.0-0-15-2] is back into the attack

17.6 Kane Richardson to Duminy, FOUR, length delivery on the stumps, Duminy heaves it behind square, the man was very square and had no chance of stopping the ball from reaching the fence

17.5 Kane Richardson to K Jadhav, 1 run, full and just outside off, thumps it along the ground to long on

17.5 Kane Richardson to K Jadhav, wide, back of the hand slower delivery down the leg-side, Jadhav tries to heave it over short fine, he does not reach it and wide signalled by the umpire

17.4 Kane Richardson to Duminy, 1 run, slower one on leg-stump, Duminy works it wide of mid-wicket

17.3 Kane Richardson to Duminy, no run, full and outside off, Duminy charges down and drives it straight to cover

17.2 Kane Richardson to Duminy, no run, touch short and close to off, Duminy tries to repeat the previous shot, he misses this time and the ball goes past the outside edge

17.1 Kane Richardson to Duminy, FOUR, short of length just outside off, Duminy hangs on the back foot, waits for the ball to come to him, opens the face and late cuts it wide of the keeper. Good thinking as he has not been able to play the big shot

Kane Richardson [2.0-0-10-0] is back into the attack

16.6 D Kulkarni to Duminy, 1 run, slower ball bouncer to end the over, Duminy waits for it and plays a tennis shot to deep mid wicket

16.5 D Kulkarni to K Jadhav, 1 run, shortens the length outside off, Jadhav walks down the pitch and glides it to third man

16.3 D Kulkarni to K Jadhav, 1 run, full and on the pads, Jadhav shuffles across and clips it to fine leg

16.2 D Kulkarni to Duminy, 1 run, takes the pace off the ball, Duminy chops it to the left of point

16.1 D Kulkarni to Duminy, FOUR, poor effort from Richardson at deep cover, full and plenty of width provided, Duminy slaps it to deep extra cover, Richardson runs across from sweeper and lets it go through his legs

Dhawal Kulkarni [2.0-0-9-0] is back into the attack

15.6 Faulkner to K Jadhav, SIX, Jadhav plays an excellent hook shot, bumper on leg-stump, he gets inside the line and hooks it over the man at fine leg. A much needed six for Delhi

15.5 Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy once again goes to his productive shot, the steer to third man

15.4 Faulkner to K Jadhav, 1 run, back of a length around off, Jadhav dabs it to short third man

15.3 Faulkner to K Jadhav, no run, short delivery on leg-stump, Jadhav gets on his knees and lets it go

Kedar Jadhav, right handed bat, comes to the crease

15.2 Faulkner to D Karthik, out Caught by Binny!! Delhi losing their way here. Faulkner once again provides the breakthrough they needed. This was banged in mid-way down the wicket, Karthik swivels and pulls it straight down the throat of deep square leg, Binny takes it calmly just inside the ropes. He didn't transfer his weight on the back foot and got it high on the bat as well. D Karthik c Binny b Faulkner 12(16)

Faulkner to D Karthik, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

15.1 Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run, short of length on off, Duminy steers it to third man

James Faulkner [2.0-0-6-1] is back into the attack

14.6 Tambe to Duminy, 1 run, flatter and on the pads, Duminy nudges it to mid-wicket

14.5 Tambe to Duminy, 1 run, flighted on leg-stump, Duminy skips down the track and works it wide of long on, Karthik pushes Duminy for the second and they get it, but Karthik does not get his bat behind the crease on the first run, hence one run short

14.4 Tambe to Duminy, no run, pushed through just outside off, Duminy misses out on the sweep, he was beaten for pace

14.3 Tambe to D Karthik, 1 run, slightly short and outside off, Karthik cuts off the outside edge to short third man, Nair makes a fine stop to his left

14.2 Tambe to Duminy, 1 run, googly on middle, Duminy comes down the track and nudges it to deep mid wicket, he had to adjust as he didn't pick the wrong' un at first

14.1 Tambe to D Karthik, 1 run, tossed up around off, drilled down to long on

Pravin Tambe [3.0-0-20-2] is back into the attack

Time-out!

13.6 D Kulkarni to Duminy, no run, change of pace outside off, Duminy cuts and finds Rahane at backward point, they don't risk a single against him, even though he fumbled

13.5 D Kulkarni to Duminy, no run, bouncer on the stumps, that surprised Duminy who was late on the hook shot, he fails to get bat on that

13.4 D Kulkarni to D Karthik, 1 run, short of length on the hips, tucked away to fine leg

13.3 D Kulkarni to Duminy, 1 run, good work by Binny to keep the batsmen down to one, short and outside off, Duminy gets on top of the bounce and cuts it to the right of sweeper cover

13.2 D Kulkarni to Duminy, no run, back of a length on off, Duminy gets behind and blocks it to the on-side

13.1 D Kulkarni to D Karthik, 1 run, straight and on the pads, Karthik whips it to fine leg

Dhawal Kulkarni [1.0-0-6-0] is back into the attack

12.6 R Bhatia to D Karthik, 1 run, good length ball just outside off, Karthik taps it to the off-side and takes a quick single

12.5 R Bhatia to D Karthik, no run, leg-cutter outside off, some extra bounce, Karthik looks to late cut but is beaten by the bounce

12.4 R Bhatia to D Karthik, 2 runs, full delivery, Karthik drills the drive straight down the ground, Bhatia tries to stop it with his boots but in vain

12.3 R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, another cutter from Bhatia, Duminy works it with soft hands to mid-wicket, Karthik wanted two but Duminy says no

11.6 Kane Richardson to D Karthik, no run, full and around off, Karthik drives it straight back to Richardson in his follow-through

11.5 Kane Richardson to Duminy, 1 run, the slip was taken off and Duminy decides to run the back of a length delivery to third man

11.4 Kane Richardson to Duminy, no run, shortens the length on middle, Duminy pats it to the on-side

Watson attacking with a slip in place

11.3 Kane Richardson to Duminy, no run, on a length and close to off, Duminy taps it to the left of the bowler

11.2 Kane Richardson to D Karthik, 1 run, back of a length delivery on off, Karthik plays it with soft hands to the on-side

11.1 Kane Richardson to Duminy, 1 run, the ball stops on Duminy, who was going for the drive but ends up checking his shot to mid-on

Kane Richardson [1.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack

10.6 Faulkner to Duminy, 1 run, short of length on off, Duminy tucks it to short mid wicket

10.5 Faulkner to D Karthik, 1 run, good length ball on off, Karthik psuhes it to mid-on and hurries through for a quick single

10.4 Faulkner to D Karthik, leg byes, 2 runs, once again Karthik walks down the pitch and misses the flick off the full delivery, the ball trickles off the pads to the on-side, Faulkner goes up for an LBW appeal but he was well down the wicket

10.3 Faulkner to D Karthik, no run, on a length just outside off, Karthik advances down the wicket and defends it back to Faulkner

10.1 Faulkner to D Karthik, 1 run, good length ball around off, Karthik knocks it in front of backward point and takes an easy single

James Faulkner [1.0-0-2-1] is back into the attack

Jean-Paul Duminy, left handed bat, comes to the crease

9.6 Tambe to de Kock, out Caught&Bowled!! Tambe has changed the game in just one over. How many times has he done it for Rajasthan? de Kock throws his wicket away after getting a start. A flighted delivery outside off, de Kock had to reach out for the drive, in the end the ball goes off the inside half of the bat. Nice reflexes from Tambe to hang on to that as the ball was travelling. de Kock c and b Tambe 42(33) [4s-5 6s-1]

Tambe to de Kock, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

9.5 Tambe to D Karthik, 1 run, flat and on off, Karthik gets behind it and knocks it to long on

9.4 Tambe to de Kock, leg byes, 1 run, pushed through on the pads, de Kock goes for the sweep but does not connect, the ball lobs off the pads

Dinesh Karthik, right handed bat, comes to the crease

9.3 Tambe to Pietersen, out Caught by S Smith!! Pietersen does not do much damage after getting a life early on. Smith won't drop those. This was a well tossed up delivery, Pietersen does not get to the pitch, but still goes through with the lofted shot, the bat handle turns in his hands as he holes out at long on. Pietersen c S Smith b Tambe 14(15) [4s-2]

Tambe to Pietersen, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

9.2 Tambe to Pietersen, no run, flatter and on the stumps, Pietersen makes room and slaps it to cover

9.1 Tambe to de Kock, 1 run, slower and on leg-stump, de Kock works it gently to mid-wicket

8.6 R Bhatia to Pietersen, FOUR, crunched! This was not all that short, but enough for Pietersen to rock back and punch it square of the wicket, that was struck powerfully, Binny at sweeper cover had no chance of stopping that

8.5 R Bhatia to de Kock, 1 run, again bowled half way down the wicket and outside off, de Kock cuts it to sweeper cover

8.4 R Bhatia to de Kock, no run, bit short and outside off, de Kock waits for it and cuts it straight to backward point

8.3 R Bhatia to de Kock, FOUR, de Kock knows when he needs to improvise, low full toss outside off, he moves across his stumps and ramps it over the short fine leg fielder

8.2 R Bhatia to Pietersen, 1 run, fuller and outside off, Pietersen drives to the left of the bowler, Bhatia gets a hand but can't stop it completely

8.1 R Bhatia to de Kock, 1 run, slower and on the legs, nudged to backward square leg

7.6 Tambe to Pietersen, no run, fired in outside off, Pietersen slashes hard and picks out Faulkner at point

7.5 Tambe to Pietersen, FOUR, excellent shot! This was floated up outside off, Pietersen gets right to the pitch of the ball and drills the drive to deep extra cover, the man at sweeper had only a few yards to move but he couldn't get there

7.4 Tambe to Pietersen, no run, thick outside edge that falls just before the short third man, half tracker outside off, Pietersen slashes it and the ball squirts off the outside edge

7.3 Tambe to de Kock, 1 run, googly which is short and outside off, de Kock hangs back and cuts it to deep extra cover

7.2 Tambe to Pietersen, 1 run, Pietersen comes down the track, yorks himself and squeezes the tossed up delivery to sweeper cover

7.1 Tambe to de Kock, 1 run, flighted on leg-stump, de Kock gets to the pitch and works it to deep mid wicket

6.6 R Bhatia to de Kock, 1 run, pulls the length back outside off, de Kock backs away slightly and cuts it wide of backward point, he had to dive to make his ground and had the ball hit the sticks he would have been a goner, Rahane was the fielder who missed the direct-hit

6.5 R Bhatia to Pietersen, 1 run, full and outside off, Pietersen drives it uppishly to long off

6.4 R Bhatia to de Kock, 1 run, another one of those cutter from Bhatia, de Kock works it to mid-wicket

6.3 R Bhatia to Pietersen, 1 run, full and on off, Pietersen drives it to long on

6.2 R Bhatia to Pietersen, no run, leg-cutter on the pads, Pietersen is outfoxed and misses the nudge, the ball lobs off the pads to the on-side, Pietersen was thinking about the single and was half way down the wicket, Samson goes across, picks up the ball and hits the timber in one go, Pietersen was short by a couple of inches. Umpire Hazare does think that he was in, why not use technology when you have it at your disposal?

What is happening here? This was a clear run-out. Umpire Sanjay Hazare does not go upstairs and there is an enquiry from the Rajasthan dug-out wanting to go to the third umpire. However, he is explaining to Watson that he has made his decision and can't go up. Pietersen is having a good laugh about it

6.1 R Bhatia to Pietersen, no run, full and outside off, Pietersen drives but picks out cover

Rajat Bhatia, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

5.6 Tambe to de Kock, 2 runs, pushed through on middle and leg, de Kock clips it between deep mid-wicket and long on for a brace

5.5 Tambe to de Kock, no run, floated on the stumps, de Kock pushes it back to Tambe

5.4 Tambe to de Kock, FOUR, pulls the length back and was predictable, de Kock was waiting on the back foot, he makes room and cuts it behind square on the off-side, he splits the two men perfectly

5.3 Tambe to de Kock, FOUR, quicker and too full outside off, de Kock drives it past a packed off-side field, the ball hurries through to the deep extra cover fence

5.2 Tambe to de Kock, no run, slower through the air, de Kock turns it to the left of the bowler

5.1 Tambe to Pietersen, 1 run, tossed up on middle, Pietersen works it to mid-on

Pravin Tambe, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

4.6 Faulkner to Pietersen, 1 run, fuller and outside off, Pietersen drives it wide of mid-off and gets off the mark

4.5 Faulkner to Pietersen, no run, fuller and just outside off, Pietersen drives and finds Smith at cover

4.4 Faulkner to de Kock, 1 run, de Kock gets behind this length delivery and whips it to mid-wicket

4.3 Faulkner to de Kock, no run, good length ball just outside off, de Kock goes hard at it, the ball goes off a thick inside edge to mid-on

4.2 Faulkner to de Kock, no run, back of a length on off, de Kock goes on the back foot and defends it

Kevin Pietersen, right handed bat, comes to the crease

4.1 Faulkner to Vijay, out Caught by Watson!! Faulkner strikes with his first ball. It was a very lazy looking shot from Vijay. Length delivery around off, Vijay looks to go big and over mid-off, he has no timing whatsoever, ends up ballooning to mid-off where Watson takes an easy catch. Vijay c Watson b Faulkner 13(11) [4s-1]

Faulkner to Vijay, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

James Faulkner, comes into the attack

3.6 Watson to de Kock, no run, full and pushed well wide of off, de Kock lets it go through

3.5 Watson to de Kock, SIX, superb innovation from the youngster, full delivery outside off, de Kock shuffles well outside off, he plays the pick up shot over backward square leg, the ball has enough to just go over the ropes

3.4 Watson to Vijay, 1 run, change of pace from Watson, Vijay works it to deep mid wicket, Binny does well to run in and keep them down to a single

3.3 Watson to de Kock, 1 run, fuller and on leg-stump, de Kock leans forward and clips it to deep mid wicket

3.2 Watson to de Kock, no run, good length delivery just outside off, de Kock pushes it towards cover

3.1 Watson to Vijay, 3 runs, Binny saves a run for his team, full and on the stumps, Vijay flicks it elegantly to deep mid wicket, the ball was racing away to the fence before Binny intercepted, he dives full length to stop the ball

Shane Watson, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

2.6 D Kulkarni to de Kock, FOUR, this time de Kock outsmarts Kulkarni, another cutter just outside off, he walks across his stumps and whips it wide of the short fine leg fielder

2.5 D Kulkarni to de Kock, no run, well disguised slower one, de Kock does not pick it, he sees that it is short and goes for the cut, he is early into the shot and fails to make contact

2.4 D Kulkarni to Vijay, 1 run, too straight, on middle and leg, Vijay shuffles across and whips it to deep square leg

2.3 D Kulkarni to Vijay, no run, on a length, hint of away swing as well, Vijay covers the movement and pushes it to cover-point

2.2 D Kulkarni to Vijay, no run, drags the length back around off, Vijay gets behind it and turns it to mid-on

2.1 D Kulkarni to de Kock, 1 run, nice flick shot from de Kock, but there is a man covering that deep mid wicket region

Dhawal Kulkarni, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

1.6 Kane Richardson to Vijay, no run, Richardson decides to check the bounce on this wicket, bangs it in short and on the body, Vijay sways back and lets it go through, Samson collects it well over his head

1.5 Kane Richardson to de Kock, 1 run, de Kock prefers to stay on the back foot to this full delivery, he nudges it to square leg

1.4 Kane Richardson to de Kock, no run, back of a length close to off, de Kock hangs back and knocks it to cover

1.3 Kane Richardson to Vijay, 1 run, shortens the length outside off, Vijay steers it to third man with an angled bat

1.2 Kane Richardson to Vijay, FOUR, creamed! This was not a bad delivery, it was on a length just outside off, Vijay gets well forward and drives it on the up between extra cover and mid-off, it was all pure timing

1.1 Kane Richardson to de Kock, 1 run, good length delivery on middle, de Kock gets behind the line and tucks it to square leg

Kane Richardson, right-arm fast, comes into the attack

0.6 Binny to de Kock, 1 run, too straight from Binny, de Kock flicks it nicely but there is a man placed at deep mid wicket

0.5 Binny to Vijay, 1 run, full toss on off, Vijay clips it behind square for an easy single

0.4 Binny to Vijay, 2 runs, Vijay sees that Tambe is the fielder at third man and hurries back for the second, good length ball with some extra bounce, Vijay plays it with loose hands to third man

A slip in place....

0.3 Binny to de Kock, 1 run, swings back in on middle and leg, de Kock turns it wide of mid-on

0.2 Binny to de Kock, FOUR, too full and close to off, de Kock squeezes it out, the key was he opened the face of the blade, the ball races away square of the wicket on the off-side

0.1 Binny to de Kock, no run, starts with a pitched up delivery just outside off, de Kock comes forward and drives it to mid-off, no timing on that

de Kock and Vijay are at the crease. de Kock is on strike. Binny will open the attack

After a thrilling first game, we will not be wrong to expect the same in this match as well. Binny has the new ball in his hand. Here we go..

Watson: "The conditions in UAE are the same as the ones you get in India. Everyone is happy to be back in India. We are going to have a bowl. We are not sure how this wicket is going to play. So we will see how it reacts. It really boosts your morale when you win such a close game. Kulkarni replaces Abdullah."

Pietersen: "This is our fortress and it is good to be back. We had some good wickets in 2012, don't know what to expect this time around. I was 50-50 with the toss. I am not 100% sure what a good score is on this wicket, so we will have to defend whatever we get. The finger is good. Laxmi Shukla misses out and Rahul Sharma comes in."

Rajasthan Royals have won the toss and have opted to field

Delhi and Rajasthan are coming into the match with some momentum as both won their previous games. Delhi put an all-round effort to go past Mumbai in their last game in UAE, where as Rajasthan were involved in a humdinger against Kolkata which they won in the Super Over. Which team can prolong their winning run? Hello and welcome to Match 23 of the Indian T20 League. Will there be any changes in the team line-ups? What will be the captain's decision after winning the toss? Stay tuned as we bring you the answers in a short while....

Preview by Kiran Nataraj

Delhi and Rajasthan lock horns, but this time in familiar conditions in India in the second leg of the Indian T20 League at Delhi. Rajasthan, who were almost unbeatable at home will not be playing their home matches at their fort in this edition any more and they will have to move out of their comfort zone. On the other hand, Delhi are languishing at the second last place in the points table and will be looking to turn their fortunes around at their own fort.

Delhi:

Delhi signed off their UAE sojourn with a thumping win over Mumbai. Their batting has been strengthened with the arrival of Kevin Pietersen, returning after a hand injury, and with JP Duminy, Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik also amongst the runs in the 5 matches they have played so far, the side is reliable with the bat. But a lot more will be expected from Quinton de Kock, Ross Taylor and KP in the matches coming up in India.

Their bowling also has been up to the mark, with Jaidev Unadkat and Shahbaz Nadeem bagging 6 wickets and 4 wickets respectively. They need their other bowlers to fire if they are to compete against the best teams. KP will want their pacers Mohammad Shami and Wayne Parnell to step up a bit and they need another good spinner to support Nadeem as Duminy's off-breaks have not been successful so far and he has been leaking runs in the middle overs.

They are seeking Imran Tahir, who was one of South Africa's main wicket-takers in the recently concluded World Twenty 20 bagging 12 wickets at an economy of 6.55 as a replacement for Nathan Coulter-Nile, but nothing is official as yet and that move could pay rich dividends for them as he could be a perfect foil along with Nadeem in the spin department.

Rajasthan:

They are one of the teams to beat as they are on a roll, winning back to back matches and they would like to continue their dream run in the second leg of the league in India. In the last match against Kolkata, they held their nerve to clinch the nail-biting thriller in which the match was tied twice and they won on the basis of the boundary count.

Shane Watson's boys have been a cohesive unit and they have always contributed as a team. Ajinkya Rahane has been rock solid at the top but he needs a good opening partner to give Rajasthan a strong start. The experiment to send Abhishek Nayar and Karun Nair to open the innings has backfired as the duo have not been able to set the ball rolling from the word go and it has also put pressure on Rahane at the other end.

Their middle order bears a more solid outlook, with Sanju Samson, Watson, Steve Smith and Stuart Binny controlling the innings, but consistency has been the issue and they would want that to change immediately.

Their bowling department is much more organised with veteran spinner Pravin Tambe and seamer Kane Richardson amongst the wickets. Senior all-rounder Rajat Bhatia too has stuck to his role of containing the rival batsmen in the middle overs, his slower deliveries are very difficult to pick while James Faulkner has also shone with three wickets in a single over against Kolkata in their last match after being carted all over the park in the previous matches.

Pitch and conditions:

It will be very hot during this time of the year and the pitch at Kotla is generally on the slower side, but the short boundaries could make it an exciting contest in this format of the game. The local boy, Rajat Bhatia will be ideal on this pitch after having toiled hard on this pitch all through his career and this should be a testing time for the big hitters of Delhi.

Quotes:

Frankly speaking, I didn`t meet or interact with KP before this IPL. But people had said a lot of stuff about his ego and so on. But I have not seen that part of him - Quinton de Kock does not believe the rumour mills about KP.

Every guy is a superstar in our team. That's one of the reasons why they have been picked - Rajat Bhatia, on Rajasthan franchise.